חוק עידוד תרומות מזון (תיקון), התשפ"ה–2024Law Encouraging Food Donations (Amendment), 2024 · automatic translation · suggest a correction

Official summary of the law (Knesset)

The amendment to the Law establishes that a public body that provides, itself or through a service provider on its behalf, catering services at a scale of 500 meals per workday, may not refuse, without justified reason, a request by a food distribution organization to contract with it for the purpose of collecting surplus food remaining on its premises. Surplus food was defined as food fit for human consumption that was not served to diners, and which the public body or the service provider on its behalf has no intention of using further, and which, if not donated, would be thrown away. The obligation to contract with a food distribution organization will not apply if collecting the food imposes a direct excess cost on the public body. The definition "public body" in this Law includes a government ministry or a unit subordinate to it, except for certain security units, the Knesset, the State Comptroller, a local authority, a municipal company and a religious council, a government company and a government subsidiary company, a corporation established by or under law, the IDF, the Israel Police and the Israel Prison Service. However, a medical institution will not be considered a public body for this purpose. Regarding the IDF, the Police, the Prison Service and the Witness Protection Authority, it was established that the minister responsible for them may order, by procedure, adjustments to the applicability of the arrangement to them, or order, by procedure, an exemption from the applicability of the arrangement for security reasons for certain units within these bodies, provided that the exemption is limited to up to one year at a time. A food distribution organization will provide the public body with which it has contracted, once a year, with confirmation of the quantity of food collected from it and its uses. The arrangement, which takes effect immediately, will not apply to an existing engagement of the public body with a service provider for the provision of catering services, including a tender already published for engagement with such a service provider or the exercise of an option granted under an existing engagement. It was further established that the existing provisions of the Food Donation Encouragement Law regarding the liability of a food donor and the granting of a certificate of appreciation to food donors will apply both to the public body and to the catering service provider on its behalf, regardless of the question of ownership of the food.

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